In the present context "tube" means either a weapon barrel housing the projectile directly until it is fired or a tubular case surrounding the projectile at least locally within the weapon barrel and remaining in the barrel when The projectile is fired.
European Patent Application No. 96400608.4 filed Mar. 22, 1996 by the Applicant describes an embodiment of a projectile of the above kind for dispersing a pressurized incapacitating or marking fluid in which the fluid dispersing means comprise a plurality of transverse orifices in a part of the body housing the container in the immediate proximity of the transverse wall carrying the striker. This prior art projectile is designed to be fired in a particular longitudinal direction from a weapon barrel and to release the pressurized fluid from the container as a result of inertial striking on impact on a target in that direction.
The above solution is not totally satisfactory in that the impact energy can be sufficient to cause not only striking (i.e. perforation) of the container by the striker, but also crushing of the container against the transverse wall carrying the striker, with the effect of crimping the container inside the body and/or to the striker in the immediate proximity of the aforementioned transverse wall, i.e. in the area in which the orifices are located.
This causes at least partial blocking of the orifices, making the projectile less effective. It is important for the fluid not only to exit the projectile but also to exit it in an extremely short time period, i.e. before the projectile falls to the ground after striking its target.
Also known, from FIG. 7 of British patent No. 1 354 307 is a projectile comprising, inside a body, a container which, on impact of the projectile on a target in a determined longitudinal direction, breaks against a striker so that its content escapes via lateral vents formed through the wall of the projectile body around the container, i.e. on the same side as the latter of a wall carrying the striker, as in the case of the projectile described in the above-mentioned European patent application.
Nevertheless, the container described in British patent No. 1 354 307 is not suitable for being perforated, but breaks into numerous pieces when it hits the striker, thereby making it necessary to provide firstly a cushion behind the container, in particular to protect it while the projectile is being fired, and secondly grids inside the vents to prevent pieces of the container from escaping together with the content thereof, since that would run the risk of injuring people in the vicinity.
In contrast, the present invention relates to projectiles in which the container is suitable for being perforated and opens on being perforated by means of the striker, as taught in the above-mentioned European patent application.
Also known, from U.S. Pat. No. 1,671,364, is a projectile having a tube that dips permanently into a volume containing a fluid to be expelled and communicating with channels formed in a rigid wall of the projectile.
The volume described in that document is no more a container suitable for being perforated than is the container described in the above-mentioned British patent, and the volume does not contain a fluid under pressure which is released by such a container being perforated. Release is performed by the effect of the volume telescoping and disengaging stoppers that initially closed a T-shaped end of the tube remote from the rigid wall in which the outlet channels are provided.
Consequently, neither British patent No. 1 354 307 nor U.S. Pat. No. 1,671,364 relates to a projectile implementing a container suitable for being perforated by the effect of a striker, i.e. of the type described in the above-mentioned European patent application. In particular, neither of those documents teaches means for remedying the above-mentioned drawback of the projectile described in said European patent application.